Late seed maturation improves the preservation of seedling emergence during storage in soybean

Abstract

-Long-term survival during dry storage or longevity is a pre-requisite to avoid deterioration, leading to loss of vigor. Longevity is routinely evaluated by the ability to germinate after storage. It increases progressively during seed maturation, after the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. However, the capacity to germinate represents only a part of the success of crop establishment. How seed maturation affects the resistance of several traits, as vigor, associated with seedling establishment, against deterioration was evaluated during seed filling and post-abscission phase of soybean BRS 284 seeds. Three new phenological stages between 7.1 and 7.2 (7.1.1, 7.1.2 and 7.1.3) were introduced to capture the rapid increase in seed longevity. Germination speed started to be affected at 7-14 days after storage depending on the stages. The delay on germination increased with maturation from 7.1.3 to dry mature seeds. The time to 50% loss of elongation capacity of both organs during storage was similar to that of loss of germination. Also, it increased steadily during seed maturation after mass maturity and harvest maturity stages, highlighting the importance of the late phase of seed maturation for building seed vigor.Index terms: Glycine max, elongation, hypocotyl, longevity, maturation.Maturação tardia da semente preserva a emergência de plântulas de soja submetidas ao armazenamento RESUMO -A sobrevivência durante o armazenamento ou longevidade é pré-requisito para evitar a deterioração, que leva à perda de vigor. A longevidade é rotineiramente avaliada pela habilidade da semente em germinar depois do armazenamento, que aumenta progressivamente durante a maturação depois da aquisição da tolerância à dessecação. No entanto, a germinação representa somente uma parte do processo de estabelecimento da planta. Foi avaliado como a maturação afeta a resistência de várias características, como vigor, relacionadas ao estabelecimento das plântulas em sementes de soja da variedade BRS 284. Três novos estádios entre 7.1 e 7.2 (7.1.1, 7.1.2 e 7.1.3) foram introduzidos para capturar o rápido aumento na longevidade das sementes. O armazenamento induziu uma queda na velocidade de germinação a partir de 7-14 dias de armazenamento, dependendo do estádio, e essa queda diminuiu com a maturação, a partir do estádio 7.1.3. O tempo para perda de 50% na capacidade de alongamento de ambos os órgãos foi similar àquele observado para capacidade de germinação. Além disso, esse tempo aumentou de forma constante durante o período de maturação, demonstrando a importância das fases finais de maturação da semente na construção do vigor.Termos para indexação: Glycine max, alongamento, hipocótilo, longevidade, maturação.1

Temporal patterns of seed quality development, decline, and timing of maximum quality during seed development and maturation

“…He also noted that, because data are often not collected to calculate physiological maturity accurately, indirect (visual) indicators are often applied – such as the appearance of a black layer in maize ( Zea mays L.) seeds (Egli, 1998). Mass maturity Given that the definition of physiological maturity had become compromised and so misleading in seed science, the term mass maturity was proposed to designate the end of the seed-filling phase (Ellis and Pieta Filho, 1992). For the avoidance of doubt, mass maturity is the seed developmental stage that Shaw and Loomis (1950) termed physiological maturity. Maturation drying The moisture content of seeds declines throughout their development and maturation.…”

“…Given that the definition of physiological maturity had become compromised and so misleading in seed science, the term mass maturity was proposed to designate the end of the seed-filling phase (Ellis and Pieta Filho, 1992). For the avoidance of doubt, mass maturity is the seed developmental stage that Shaw and Loomis (1950) termed physiological maturity.…”

“…Perhaps not surprisingly then, other researchers reported that seed quality continues to improve after (Wilson and Trawatha, 1991) or well after physiological maturity sensu stricto (e.g. Kameswara Rao et al ., 1991; Pieta Filho and Ellis, 1991a, b; Demir and Ellis, 1992a, b, 1993; Ellis and Pieta Filho, 1992; Ellis et al ., 1993; Ellis and Hong, 1994; Zanakis et al ., 1994; Hay and Probert, 1995; Sanhewe and Ellis, 1996; Sanhewe et al , 1996; Hay et al ., 1997; Sinniah et al ., 1998a; Hay et al ., 2010; Pereira Lima et al ., 2017; Basso et al ., 2018), or even later after seeds are shed from mother plants (e.g. Probert et al ., 2007; Newton et al ., 2013) refuting Harrington's hypothesis.…”

Why Seed Physiology Is Important for Genebanking

“…Seed longevity continues to increase after the seeds have acquired desiccation tolerance, in the late maturation phase of seed development [64][65][66][67]. However, the time when 'final' or 'maximum achievable' longevity is reached and how long it is maintained thereafter will vary between species, varieties, accessions, and seasons.…”

Acquisition of the physiological quality of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seeds during maturation under the influence of the maternal environment

“…However, we still know little about the attributes involved in the acquisition of the physiological quality of peanut seeds and when they are acquired. One strategy to fill this gap is to study the acquisition of quality in peanut seeds during maturation, which has been reported for legumes such as soybean [9,10], Medicago truncatula [11,12] and cowpea beans [13].…”